Court rejects appeal from Somali pirates

WASHINGTON » The Supreme Court has turned down an appeal from Somali men who were the first people convicted on federal piracy charges in nearly 200 years.

The justices did not comment today in refusing to disturb the convictions and sentences of life in prison.

Defense lawyers had argued the men were innocent fishermen who had been abducted by pirates and forced to fire their weapons at a U.S. Navy ship.

But the government said that the Somalis had confessed to attacking the USS Nicholas after mistaking it for a merchant ship. The Nicholas, based in Norfolk, Va., was part of an international flotilla fighting piracy in the seas off Somalia.

The court also rejected a separate appeal from another group of Somalis who have yet to be tried on piracy charges.

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Grimboldwrote:

It is unfathomable that we are a society in which pirates are not executed. Instead our citizenry pay thru their nose to keep such riffraff alive in prison.

on January 22,2013 | 05:51AM

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Hanalei13wrote:

Capital punishment costs far more than imprisoning someone for life

on January 22,2013 | 07:22AM

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Ronin006wrote:

Give us a break. One round from an AK 47 cost about $1.00. Compare that to what it cost to keep one person in prison for life and redo your comment.

on January 22,2013 | 09:04AM

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Usagi336wrote:

Sailors aboard the Nicholas should have returned fire and blown them out of the water. Would've saved a lot of money.